FARMING NEWSLETTER by W. J. PETERSEN

ON THE DAIRY FARM In my letter of the last issue of this journal I covered the selection of paddocks suitable for closing up for hay and sileage. So I will now set down a few useful hints for the harvesting of these crops. The grass in the early closed paddocks will be the first ready for harvesting, though as the weather will not yet be settled and rain can be expected at any time it will be wise to turn this grass into sileage. Sileage is easy to make but to be sure of having good silage and to avoid undue waste, care must be taken in the preserving of this grass. The first point to decide on is whether or not to put the saved grass into a stack or a pit. If the former, be careful not to start your stack too large at the base as the green grass is very apt to spread and if great care is not taken you will end up with just a big heap of grass. The buckrake built stack seems to save time and feeds out well but it is never a very pleasant sight. If a pit is available the grass can be swept straight into it and providing this is reasonably evenly spread, no further care need be taken. One good hint is don't cut too much of the grass at one time. Just cut sufficient to fill your pit or to build your stack up to head height for the first day. Leave this to settle or consolidate for 24 hours and build onto again after being allowed to settle. If a stack or pit is used the grass must be covered and weighted down. Earth can be used for this purpose but where granulated lime is plentiful this can be used. First place the bags on the outside then cover the remainder of the stack with loose lime taking care that the centre is built to a crown to turn the water. The making of hay in these modern times is a simple matter. If it is proposed to have the hay baled, a contractor should be employed to do this work. The arrangements to employ this contractor should have been made well before the grass is ready to cut. The main point in making ing good hay is to be fairly sure of having fine weather and sure that the grass is ripe. By ripe I mean the rye and clover should be just in flower and the flowers not too old or the stalks will be tough and hard. On all farms where hay is to be baled it is essential to have a hay barn in which to store the bales. Many thousands of pounds worth of good hay is ruined each year through being left uncovered and allowed to get wet. There is nothing more harmful to the health of animals than to be forced to eat mouldy or rotten hay.

ON THE SHEEP FARM Shearing will be the main subject in the sheep-farmers mind at this time of the year. So in this letter I will try and cover most essential points in the preparation for this most important operation. If you have your own woolshed always be sure to have a good supply of all machine parts and other materials so necessary at shearing time. A list of some of these essential items are:— Wool packs (one for each 50 sheep), sack needles, sewing twine, Blacking and brush for branding bales, Stockholm tar, bottle of kerosene, shed broom, and First Aid Kit re-fill. Also be sure to have petrol and oil (engine, machine and handpiece), grease, emery papers (coarse and fine), spare cutters and combs, a long gut and a short gut, vice, screwdrivers and oil cans are only some of the items so necessary at shearing time. Be sure to have a copy of the Shearers Award displayed in a prominent place in the woolshed. This is most important as the law states that this must be done. Now with everything ready it is desirable to make a start with the dry sheep and your hoggets are usually the first to be shorn followed by the dry ewes and the rams. If your flock is all Romneys then the lambs should be shorn at the same time as their mothers; but if you are using the Southdown Ram, it is advisable to just lightly crutch the lambs to keep them free of dags. It is always advisable to yard the ewes and lambs in small mobs so that the lambs are not separated from their mothers for too long a period. Draft each mob and start shearing the ewes then their lambs, and to keep them free of dags. It is always advisable to yard the ewes and lambs in small mobs so that the lambs are not separated from their mothers for too long a period. Draft each mob and start shearing the ewes then their lambs, and to keep the wool together follow with the next mob of lambs and so on. In the next letter I will endeavour to cover the handling of the wool in the woolshed.